Grit and Glitter: a collaboration between artists Paula J. Nees and Gretchen Stevens Cochran.
Images from the installation at Shot Tower Gallery Space, Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio in March of 2014.
Installation part of the Exchanges exhibition organized by CAW Creative Arts of Women.
Images from the installation at Shot Tower Gallery Space, Fort Hayes, Columbus, Ohio in March of 2014.
Installation part of the Exchanges exhibition organized by CAW Creative Arts of Women.
Titles of Grit and Glitter: For the titles of the carts we decided to use the honorific ending “ji” which references the revered nature of a person or place. The following will give the viewer a specific reference for each cart.
Kalpanaji – Kalpana is a paper factory we visited in Sanganer just outside of Jaipur. We saw rooms strung with sheets of jewel tone papers hung to dry, floors scattered with marigold petals soon to be added to freshly made papers and vats filled with colorful pulp used to create their handmade paper.
Gandhiji – Mahatma Gandhi is considered the father of India and is recognized for his nonviolent civil disobedience leading India to independence and self-rule. He advocated nonviolence and truth in all things and lived a modest life wearing a traditional dhoti made of hand spun yarn.
Sanskritiji – Sanskriti Foundation is the place we called “home” while we were in New Delhi. This Kendra consists of studios, communal meeting areas, and small museums dedicated to terracotta, textiles and exquisitely crafted objects. Surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds we learned traditional methods from local artisans dedicated to working with their hands, using simple tools and humble materials.
Khari Baoliji – Old Delhi, called Chandni Chowk, is an area packed with markets, artisan workshops and temples. A section of this market, Khari Baoli, contains the spice and pigment merchants. Both Gretchen and I visited this area on different occasions to search out colorants for use in our work. The colors we found ranged from pungent turmeric to outrageous fluorescent pink.
Kalpanaji – Kalpana is a paper factory we visited in Sanganer just outside of Jaipur. We saw rooms strung with sheets of jewel tone papers hung to dry, floors scattered with marigold petals soon to be added to freshly made papers and vats filled with colorful pulp used to create their handmade paper.
Gandhiji – Mahatma Gandhi is considered the father of India and is recognized for his nonviolent civil disobedience leading India to independence and self-rule. He advocated nonviolence and truth in all things and lived a modest life wearing a traditional dhoti made of hand spun yarn.
Sanskritiji – Sanskriti Foundation is the place we called “home” while we were in New Delhi. This Kendra consists of studios, communal meeting areas, and small museums dedicated to terracotta, textiles and exquisitely crafted objects. Surrounded by beautifully landscaped grounds we learned traditional methods from local artisans dedicated to working with their hands, using simple tools and humble materials.
Khari Baoliji – Old Delhi, called Chandni Chowk, is an area packed with markets, artisan workshops and temples. A section of this market, Khari Baoli, contains the spice and pigment merchants. Both Gretchen and I visited this area on different occasions to search out colorants for use in our work. The colors we found ranged from pungent turmeric to outrageous fluorescent pink.
